Union Home Ministry on Sunday asked all States to strictly comply with the Supreme Court’s orders on the welfare of migrant labourers housed at relief camps.
Citing the Supreme Court’s directions, the Ministry told the States to ensure the role of trained counselors and community leaders from all religions to boost the morale of the migrant labourers during the crisis period apart from the regular logistics of the camps.
The Home Ministry also told the States to strictly adhere to the Health Ministry directive of service of psychological counseling and implementation of all medical facilities to the displaced migrant labour.
"The Court directed that adequate medical facilities besides proper arrangements for food, clean drinking water and sanitation be ensured for migrant workers at relief camps/shelters across the country. Further, trained counsellors and/ or community group leaders belonging to all faiths should visit the relief camps/ shelter homes and deal with any consternation that the migrants might be going through.
“The Court also observed that the anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by the police and other authorities, and that they should deal with the migrants in a humane manner. Further, the State Governments/ UTs should endeavour to engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities of the migrants,” said MHA reiterating the States to followup the regular directions of Union Health Ministry.
The government had told the Supreme Court that almost a third of the migrants returning to their home towns and villages could be infected with the novel coronavirus. As many as 21,000 relief camps have been set up by states and UTs to house more than 6.5 lakh migrants, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Following the Supreme Court directives, the Health Ministry also called for providing a social protection to migrant workers, saying they are prone to social, psychological and emotional trauma in lockdown situations.
But with just around 15,000 trained counsellors and psychiatrists in the country, the Government has a mammoth task at its hand to implement the Supreme Court order.